Terry sustained a knock to his ankle in training yesterday and was not present at a scheduled media briefing this morning.

And the United striker is ready to step in if Terry misses out.

England boss Fabio Capello said: "He has hurt his ankle and we need to check him but I think he will be okay."

“If John Terry doesn’t play, it will be Wayne Rooney.

“He is fit and he is ready to be a captain.”

It would be the first time the 24-year-old has done the job for England, having had only limited experience of the role with Manchester United.

Meanwhile Frank Lampard is already back in London having treatment on a thigh injury which flared up during training.

Despite early fears that Lampard could be out until Christmas, Capello believes he will only be out a few weeks.

He said: “It is a problem with the muscle that he has had before.

“Then he didn’t play for two months. But I have spoken to the doctor and he thinks this time it will be two or three weeks.” Tomorrow’s match against the five-time World Champions is Capello's biggest challenge as England manager yet.

And he knows how important a win could be for England's prospects in next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

He said: "The Brazilian national team has won a lot of titles. For that reason, all the Italians. and Germans as well, respect them.

“They have not only won titles but they always play very well.

“They have a different style and players with a lot of imagination. You don’t know what they’re going to do next.

“For this reason it is important to play against Brazil and to learn a lot from this game.”